Most of us go into a movie with high expectations, or at least, we’re hoping to enjoy it and not have a story to tell about how bad it was afterward. Right?
The truth is that not all movies are good, though – in fact, most of them aren’t. So, how can you tell within a few minutes whether or not you’ve signed up for torture?
These 17 people have some ideas.
17. Trust your audience.
If the character points out something that is blatantly obvious.
IN A WORLD, WHERE ONE MAN, HAS TO SAVE THE WORLD
Man: I have to save the world.
16. So many fall victim to this.
Showing what is obviously the best part/climax in the trailer. If it isn’t strong enough to catch my interest with the lead-up, it’s likely gonna suck.
sometimes good movies do this too & its frustrating. why not save the best for (presumably) paying customers. i miss old trailers that used to be more vague and not give away the full experience
15. Every time.
A huge robot rises from a national monument while tectonic plates shift and crack, dragging millions to their doom.
White male protagonist: “Duh, that’s not good.”
Black male co-star: “Awww hell naw!”
14. Yeah, these could go away.
Source content is it’s own thing, but the movie decides to ‘bring it into the real world’. It’s lazy and totally misses the point of why people like it.
eg. He-Man, Beastmaster 2, Smurfs, Garfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Garbage Pail Kids, etc.
13. Stop trying to convince us.
has too many of what unknown critics say on the movie poster or trailer
Or the quote on the poster is like, “it’s…great” there’s an entire paragraph bashing the movie cut out in-between those two words
12. That’s called an info dump, and yeah.
An exposition in which one character explains everything that’s going on to another character that should already know what is going on.
“Look I know we had a 40 minute drive to get here and I didn’t say shit, but I’m going to let you in on the plan 20 seconds before we go shootin up this place”
11. Those are cherry-picked words, my friends.
When the commercials all have one or two word reviews.
And the reviews are from people ypu’ve never heard of.
“Feast for the Senses” – William Albertson of the Topeka Star Tribune Weekend Film Magazine (Online Edition)
10. No exceptions.
It’s an edgy reboot of a children’s property that stopped being relevant a decade ago.
I’m tired of gritty reboots. When will it be time for cheery rethinks?
9. You could just buy the soundtrack.
When they hype the movies soundtrack more than the film it’s self
Ex. Suicide squad
Let’s face it… Once DC saw how well Guardians of the Galaxy did they pivoted HARD and said “Let’s make ours like that one” and instantly the songs came flooding in (among other things).
I still wish I could find the original grimdark gritty trailer they released before the Bohemian Rhapsody one.
8. Cringe.
Directing credit goes to “Alan Smithee”
Alan Smithee (also Allen Smithee) is an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project.
…
In 1998, the film An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was released, in which a man named Alan Smithee (Eric Idle) wishes to disavow a film he has directed, but is unable to do so because the only pseudonym he is permitted to use is his own name. The film was directed by Arthur Hiller, who reported to the DGA that producer Joe Eszterhas had interfered with his creative control, and successfully removed his own name from the film, so Alan Smithee was credited instead.
The film was a commercial and critical failure, released in only 19 theaters, grossing only $45,779 in the United States with a budget of about $10 million, and Rotten Tomatoes reports an aggregate critical rating of only 8% positive. The movie also won five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, at that year’s event.
7. They’re not racing to enter the Oscars.
If it’s being released in January. That isn’t the case every time, just most of the time.
For whatever reason, January is basically the cinematic dumping ground month.
6. What can you do but laugh?
When the movie was supposed to be a drama and they changed it during filming to a comedy.
Downsizing kinda feels like this. Starts as a comedy sort of, and trailers marketed it as such. Then suddenly it’s a drama/romance/climate change thing. Made that whole movie feel super weird.
5. This almost never works out.
Whenever they start promoting their movie by constantly comparing it to one of the all time greats in the genre.
If you are a fantasy movie and you have to state in the advertising that you are great just like Lord of the Rings, it makes me think you’re movie is probably shit. Because you are not LOTR.
4. There’s only one joke.
If there are multiple trailers for a comedy movie, but they use the same joke in all of them.
Also when the trailer gives away the twist or climax of the movie. Remember that terminator movie where they reveal John was a terminator in the trailer? That’s when I knew I wasn’t gonna watch it.
3. There’s always a reason.
It’s been in production for too long.
There’s always a reason, for a recent example; ‘Chaos Walking’. It changed screenwriter, director and production company so many times over 10 years but was sold on it been “A Charlie Kauffman movie starring Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland”.
Kauffman left in 2013, Ridley and Holland filmed it over years due to so many reshoots and failed screenings. Then Lionsgate said the negative reviews were shocking to them.. Really??
2. Right there in the lobby.
When the main actors name is bigger than the title on the poster.
Bonus points if the actors last name isn’t the REAL famous named actor. Example, Quentin Tarantino recently was on WTF talking about how his estranged father and Al Pacinos estranged father got together and made a few direct to video B movies.
So they get to put “TARANTINO-PACINO” at the top of the poster for marketing. Then you see to random old dudes.
1. They don’t want you to hear a thing before you buy your ticket.
Critics did not receive an advance screening in order to write a review. It means the studio is hoping to at least recover an opening weekend of ticket sales before word gets out.
I have to say, I don’t see the flaws in most of these tips.
Do you have an idea for something else to add? Drop it in our comments!
